virus
A submicroscopic, non-cellular structure that consists of a core of DNA or RNA…A submicroscopic, non-cellular structure that consists of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat, that requires a living host cell to replicate, and that sometimes causes disease in the host organism (such agents are often classed as nonliving infectious particles and less often as microorganisms).
» Could it be a virus?
Könnte es sich um ein Virus handeln?
Может, это вирус?
Може, це вірус?
Meaning
9 senses(countable, uncountable)A submicroscopic, non-cellular structure that consists of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat, that requires a living host cell to replicate, and that sometimes causes disease in the host organism (such agents are often classed as nonliving infectious particles and less often as microorganisms).
A submicroscopic, non-cellular structure that consists of a core of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat, that requires a living host cell to replicate, and that sometimes causes disease in the host organism (such agents are often classed as nonliving infectious particles and less often as microorganisms).
(countable, uncountable)A species thereof.
Meronym: virion (individual particle)
Some viruses, such as norovirus, cause sporadic outbreaks of gastroenteritis.
(countable, uncountable)An individual particle thereof: synonym of virion.
Under electron microscopy, a few viruses were seen floating near the cells.
(uncountable)A quantity of such infectious agents, considered en masse.
Not much virus was detectable on a nucleic acid test; the viral load was very low.
(countable, informal, metonymically, uncountable)A disease caused by such an infectious agent; a viral illness.
He's got a virus and had to stay home from school.
(countable, uncountable)A type of malware which can covertly transmit itself between computers via networks (especially the Internet) or removable storage such as disks by inserting its code into other executable files, often causing damage to systems and data; also computer virus.
Computervirus, Virus
ви́русvírus, компью́терный ви́русkompʹjútɛrnyj vírus
ві́русvírus, комп'ю́терний ві́русkompʺjúternyj vírus
(countable, proscribed, uncountable)Any type of malware.
(countable, figuratively, uncountable)Any malicious or dangerous entity that spreads from one place or person to another.
(archaic, countable, uncountable)Venom, as produced by a poisonous animal etc.
- (virology) ultramicroscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts; many are pathogenic; a piece of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) wrapped in a thin coat of protein
- a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer
- a harmful or corrupting agency
Examples
326 sentencesCould it be a virus?
Може, це вірус? — deniko
ruМожет, это вирус? — Ooneykcall
deKönnte es sich um ein Virus handeln? — Pfirsichbaeumchen
It must be a virus.
Це, мабуть, вірус. — deniko
ruЭто, должно быть, вирус. — marafon
What kind of virus is it?
ruЧто это за вирус? — marafon
Most people don't get sick from the virus.
Tom caught a virus and had to stay home from work.
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 2
By meaning 2
By meaning 2
Origin
From Middle English virus, from Latin vīrus (“poison, slime, venom”), via rhotacism from PFrom Middle English virus, from Latin vīrus (“poison, slime, venom”), via rhotacism from Proto-Italic *weizos, from Proto-Indo-European *wisós (“fluidity, slime, poison”). First use in the computer context by David Gerrold in his 1972 book When HARLIE Was One.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: viruses / viri / viriiSynonyms
2 synonyms- a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer:computer virus
Word family
80 related wordsLessons for this word
2 lessons- A1Plural nouns — Because its plural is irregular
- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable